Bill Gates offered some surprisingly critical comments about environmental activists who believe the proliferation of renewable energy is the only answer to climate change.

Gates is no stranger to environmental activism. The founder of Microsoft — and a man worth almost $100 billion — has used his wealth to propel a number of climate change initiatives. He currently leads a coalition of billionaires who are investing in clean energy technologies. The philanthropy organization he founded, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is focusing on the adaptation to climate change.

Gates has also invested in the development of advanced nuclear reactors, and a company, Carbon Engineering, that uses technology to capture carbon right out of the sky.

“It’s very American to invent things to help the entire world. We’re always on the front of new science and new product development. So it would be tragic if this was the first time the U.S. didn’t play that role,” Gates said Sunday in an interview with Axios on HBO. It was a wide-ranging conversation that covered his work on global warming.

While he has devoted an enormous amount of money and personal time to helping curb carbon emissions, Gates isn’t afraid to level criticism at environmental activists. The billionaire philanthropist told Axios that people who believe solar and wind development is the sole solution to stopping climate change are just as bad as people who block progress.

“That general impression that ‘Oh, it’s just about solar and wind,’ that I think is as dangerous to us as the fact that in one country, the U.S., there’s a faction that associates with ‘Hey, let’s not make any trade-offs to go in and solve this problem,’” he said.

Gates pointed out at the generation industry is just one of many sectors that releases carbon emissions, and that combating climate change takes a multi-faceted approach.

Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, attends a news conference as the foundation teams up with the Japan Sports Agency and Tokyo 2020 to promote the Sustainable Development Goals in conjunction with the Olympics, in Tokyo, Japan, Nov. 9, 2018. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

“A lot of people think, OK, renewable energy, wind and solar, has gotten a lot cheaper, isn’t that it?” Gates explained. “Well, electricity is only a quarter of the problem. In fact, we’ve got to solve the entire 100 percent. You know, unless somebody has the pie in their mind that, OK, electricity’s 25 percent, agriculture’s 24 percent, transport’s 14 percent, unless they start with that, we’re not really talking about the same problem.”

Gates’ comments come when wind and solar proponents are increasingly pushing state governments to increase their renewable energy standards. Numerous efforts — much of them funded by billionaire activist Tom Steyer — have sought to increase the renewable energy mandates in varying states.

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First, we cannot keep increasing the world population for profit, second we need to solve the diseases that we face, the pill companies can do what the tobacco industry did, buy food companies……..third, .take the MAO-A gene out of men, swallow pride, ban wars, and separate religion and politics, and do what Abraham Lincoln said, “take from the rich, and give to the poor”. because : “all men are not created equal” Mr Gates, what You are doing with the foundation is great, we need to get more billionaires to rebuild our infrastructure, namely the electric grid, the pipelines, and the railroads, and the highway system. Limiting the lottery system to 1 million, for example, when 1 person wins millions, they buy 1 house, 1 car, 1 commode, I ref., 1 toaster…etc… 500 Mil. jackpot, pick 5 – I million winners, then this would be the richest country in the world, no more homeless for which there Is no excuse for in this coumtry.

Thanks for reading and commenting. There are many wrong statements in your comments. For example Abraham Lincoln actually said, “You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves.” Religion is the basis of our laws. A politician without a strong morality will do what Hitler did. America is the richest country because it is the freest country. Life, liberty and pursuit of happiness are key to our national health and well being. Taking care of the needy and poor has historically been done by religious organizations in accordance with the Holy Bible. It is God’s work to help those in need, not the government.